Government Documents

Houston Cole Library

Collection Assessment

Submitted by Bethany Skaggs

May 2005

INTRODUCTION

The Government Documents Collection differs from conventional subject collections in a variety of ways, the most important of these being: it is interdisciplinary, the items are received free-of-charge, and many items are not classed using Library of Congress (LC) call numbers. Due to these factors, assessment of the Government Documents Collection by traditional means is not possible (i.e., there are no conspectus sheets). The Government Documents Collection assessment must be, by necessity, more holistic. Consequently, an alternative method of assessment has been adapted from the guidelines established by the WLN Collection Assessment Services.[1] This was done with the hope of modifying the guidelines to fit the unique properties of the Government Documents Collection while creating an assessment that is comparable to those performed on specific subject areas.

The inherent difficulty in evaluation has resulted in no in-depth assessment having ever been performed on the Government Documents Collection; therefore, there was no material that could be used for comparison in creating this assessment. This inaugural assessment should provide a baseline for future assessments.

The Government Documents Collection is made up primarily of materials received through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). The Library has been a selective depository since 1929, and it currently selects 27% of the publications distributed through the FDLP.

Based on the guidelines established by the WLN Collection Assessment Services, the Government Documents Collection is rated an overall 3aP (Basic Study or Instructional Support Level, predominately English). Refer to the holdings counts and checklist analysis for a more detailed examination of the Library’s collection.

The primary purpose of the Government Documents Collection is to support the current and anticipated instructional, research, and service programs of the University, in addition to meeting the information needs of the 3rd Congressional District of Alabama.[2]

HOLDINGS

Unlike most institutions, the Library assigns LC classification to its tangible government publications and integrates them into the rest of its collection. The exceptions to this practice include: ephemeral materials (classed by SuDoc and shelved in the 2nd floor vertical file), maps (filed alphabetically by title in the 3rd floor map cabinet), and microfiche (classed by SuDoc and filed in the 2nd floor fiche cabinets). The Government Documents Collection contains 39,499 titles, which accounts for approximately 6% of the total library holdings. This count does not include Y4 Congressional microfiche or public [slip] laws, which are not cataloged.

As stated above, the Government Documents Collection is interdisciplinary. The largest subject concentrations of the Government Documents Collection include:

  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Political Science (9%)
  • Science (8%)
  • Medicine (7%)
  • U.S. History (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Technology (5%)
  • Law (5%)
  • Agriculture (3%)
  • General History (3%)

The following tables provide a more detailed breakdown of the Government Documents Collection holdings.

HOLDINGS BROKEN DOWN BY MAJOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES:

Government
Agency / Approximate LC Classification Equivalent / Documents
Titles
Agriculture / S-SK / 1,498
NARA / E-F / 124
Commerce / H-HJ / 1,225
Civil Rights Com. / JC, K, KF / 235
Defense / D-F, U-UH, V-VM / 1,677
Energy / TA, TC-TD, TJ-TK / 471
Education / L-LJ / 1,851
EPA / GE, TD, QH-QR / 388
FEMA / HV / 243
Federal Trade Commission / HF / 188
General Accounting Office / HJ / 37
Health & Human Services / R-RZ / 4,416
Housing & Urban Development / HD, NA, TH / 434
Homeland Security / HV / 89
Interior / E-F, TD, GB, GE, GV / 3,410
Justice / HV / 1,677
Judiciary / KF / 29
Labor / H-HD, HF, / 623
Library of Congress / Z / 321
NASA / TL / 462
NF on Arts and Humanities / M-NX / 59
National Science Foundation / Q-QR / 26
Peace Corps / HC / 21
Personnel Management / HF, HG / 129
President of the U.S. / HV, JK, KF / 212
Executive Office of the President / G, GB / 1,029
Vice President of the U.S. / HV, JK, KF / 28
State Department / J-JC, JK / 357
Small Business Administration / HC, HF, HG / 162
Smithsonian Institution / QH-QL / 603
Social Security Administration / HD / 159
Treasury / HG, HJ / 423
Transportation / T, TE-TG, TL / 280
Congress* / KF / 2,276
Totals / 25,162

*Does not take into account non-cataloged Congressional microfiche

‡Totals will not add up to 39,499 because many document records do not have SuDoc numbers; therefore, they cannot be counted by agency

HOLDINGS BROKEN DOWN BY LC CLASSIFICATION/SUBJECT:

LC Classification / Major Divisions, Categories, and Subjects / Documents
Titles
A-AZ / General Works / 514
B-BX / Philosophy, Psychology, & Religion / 56
C-CT / Auxiliary Sciences of History (General) / 448
D-DX / History (General) & Europe (General) / 1101
E / United States History (General) / 2770
F / U.S. Local History, Canada, Latin America / 563
G-GV / Geography, Anthropology, & Recreation / 815
H-HX / Social Sciences / 7418
J-JZ / Political Science / 3666
L-LT / Education / 2240
K-KZ / Law / 1802
M-MT / Music / 31
N-NX / Fine Arts / 281
P-PZ / Language and Literature / 240
Q-QR / Science / 3291
R-RZ / Medicine / 2817
S-SK / Agriculture / 1060
T-TX / Technology / 2011
U-UH / Military Science / 776
V-VM / Naval Science / 153
Z-ZA / Bibliography and Library Science / 409
Totals / 32,462

‡Totals will not add up to 39,499 because many document records do not have LC classification

E-books

The majority of governmental electronic resources added to the catalog are monograph and serial publications by government agencies. These electronic publications are typically made available in HTML or PDF format, although other formats, such as raster images of maps, are also available. There are approximately 2,711 electronic government documents titles currently in the Library’s catalog. Of these titles, 1,430 were added to the catalog in the last fiscal year. These counts do not include tangible titles that also have links to electronic versions, of which there are 2,798. This makes a total of 5,509 government titles available in electronic format.

Maps

The Library’s map collection currently contains 1,047 titles, and government document maps account for 917 of these holdings, making up the majority (88%) of this collection. There are 142 classes of cartographic materials available from GPO, and the Library currently selects 39 of these classes, or 27%. The largest categories of maps include soil surveys, census series, CIA, weather, topographic, and geological survey maps. Of the map classes that the Library does not select, nautical maps and charts make up the majority.

Microfiche

A significant percentage of the Government Documents Collection is in microfiche format. There are currently 3,429 government document microfiche titles, not including the substantive collection of non-cataloged Y4 microfiche and older fiche that has been LC classed and filed in a different location. The Government Documents Collection cataloged microfiche is located on the 2nd floor. Non-cataloged Congressional microfiche is located on the 4th floor.

Vertical File

Items that are not suitable for shelving with the main collection due to size or format are located in the vertical file. Vertical file items include pamphlets, posters, Braille publications, and other items. There are currently 2,467 titles in the GPO vertical file.

Audio-Visual Materials

The Government Documents Collection contains 110 total audiovisual titles. These titles include 63 videos, 29 kits, and 18 pieces of software. This does not include non-software CDs and DVDs, which are not located in the AV center, but are shelved with the Library’s main collection.

Serials

Of the total Government Documents Collection, 3,413 are serial publications. Government document serials are often irregular in publication frequency, and determining active and ceased publications can be difficult. Government documents periodicals include monthly, quarterly, and weekly journals. Annual reports from government agencies also make up a significant portion of the serials in the Government Documents Collection.

ACCESS TO ELECTRONIC RESOURCES (Defined Access)

Since the inception in 1996 of the concept of e-government, electronic resources have become of increasing significance to the Government Documents Collection. The Library currently receives approximately 65% of its government publications solely in electronic format. In addition, the majority of government publications received in tangible format are also available digitally. It is anticipated that within the next fiscal year, the Library will receive 95% of all its government publications exclusively in electronic format.

The library’s defined access is rated a 3 (Study or Instructional Support level).

Databases

The Library provides online access to several government databases through the GPOAccess web portal ( These databases are varied in subject and coverage. Most are full text. Some of the most utilized databases include:

  • Bound Congressional Record
  • Budget of the United States Government
  • Catalog of U.S. Government Publications
  • Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
  • Congressional Databases (Bills, Calendars, Committee Prints, Documents, Hearings)
  • Congressional Record and Congressional Record Index
  • ConsumerInformationCenter
  • FDLP Electronic Collection
  • History of Bills
  • House Journal
  • Independent Counsel Investigations
  • List of CFR Sections Affected
  • MEDLINE
  • Public Papers of the Presidents
  • Public and Private Laws
  • Serial Set
  • Supreme Court Decisions
  • United States Code

The following is an alphabetical list of all the databases available through GPOAccess:

  • 9-11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States
  • Agency Publications Indexes
  • Background Material and Data on Programs within the Jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means (Green Book)
  • Ben's Guide to U.S. Government
  • Blue Book, House Committee on Ways and Means
  • Bound Congressional Record, Volume 145
  • Browse Federal Agency Internet Sites by Topic (Browse Topics)
  • Browse Topics, Browse Federal Agency Internet Sites by Topic
  • Budget of the United States Government, FY96 forward
  • Cannon's Precedents of the House of Representatives
  • Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP), 1994 forward
  • Challenger Space Shuttle Accident Selected Congressional Hearings and Reports
  • Citizen's Guide to the Federal Budget (1999-2001)
  • Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), April 1996 forward
  • Commerce Business Daily (CBDNet), December 1996 to January 2, 2002
  • Commission on Affordable Housing and Health Facility Needs for Seniors in the 21st Century, a former GPO Access hosted site, now archived in the Cybercemetery
  • Congressional Bills, 103rd Congress forward
  • Congressional Calendars, 104th Congress forward
  • Congressional Committee Prints, 105th Congress forward
  • Congressional Directory, 104th Congress forward
  • Congressional Documents, 104th Congress forward
  • Congressional-Executive Commission on the People's Republic of China
  • Congressional Hearings, 105th Congress forward
  • Congressional Pictorial Directory, 105th Congress forward
  • Congressional Record, 1994 forward
  • Congressional Record, Bound Volume 145
  • Congressional Record Index, 1983 forward
  • Congressional Reports, 104th Congress forward
  • Congressional Serial Set, 104th Congress forward
  • Consumer Information Center
  • Core Documents of U.S. Democracy
  • Cybercemetery of Former Federal Web Sites
  • Davis-Bacon Wage Determinations
  • Department of Interior IG Reports
  • Deschler's Precedents of the U.S. House of Representatives
  • Digital Preservation Report
  • DOE GrayLIT Network, partnership with Department of Energy
  • DOE Federal R&D Project Summaries, partnership with Department of Energy
  • DOE Information Bridge, partnership with Department of Energy
  • DOSFAN Electronic Research Collection (ERC), partnership with Department of State
  • Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (E-CFR), unofficial edition of the CFR, in partnership with the Office of Federal Regulations
  • Economic Indicators, 1995 forward
  • Economic Report of the President, 1995 forward
  • Energy Citations Database, partnership with Department of Energy (1948 forward)
  • Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a GPO Access hosted site
  • Education Reports from ERIC
  • Export Administration Regulations, current regulations only
  • Federal Agency Internet Sites
  • Federal Bulletin Board
  • Federal Depository Library Program
  • Federal Depository Libraries
  • FDLP Desktop
  • FDLP Electronic Collection: Specialized Collections of Full Text Information
  • Federal Labor Relations Authority, a GPO Access hosted site
  • Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, a GPO Access hosted site
  • Federal Register, 1994 forward
  • Federal Web Sites Hosted by GPO Access
  • GAO Comptroller General Decisions
  • GAO Reports, FY93 forward
  • Government Information Locator Service Records (GILS)
  • GPOLISTSERV
  • Green Book, House Committee on Ways and Means
  • Hinds' Precedents of the House of Representatives
  • History of Bills, 1983 forward
  • History of Line Item Veto Notices, Prior to Supreme Court Opinion No. 97-1374
  • House Calendars, 104th Congress forward
  • House Journal, 1991-95
  • House Practice: A Guide to the Rules, Precedents and Procedures of the House, 108th Congress, 1st Session & 104th Congress, 2d Session
  • House Rules and Manual, 105th Congress forward
  • House Ways and Means Committee Prints, 104th Congress forward
  • Independent Counsel Investigations
  • Information by Topic, partnership with FirstGov
  • Interagency Council on Homelessness, a GPO Access hosted site
  • Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities before and after the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001
  • Kids Page
  • List of CFR Sections Affected (LSA), 1997 forward
  • MEDLINE (Medical Literature, Analysis, and Retrieval System Online), partnership with National Library of Medicine
  • Medical Subject Headings, partnership with National Library of Medicine
  • Merit Systems Protection Board, a GPO Access hosted site
  • Millennial Housing Commission, a former GPO Access hosted site, now archived in the Cybercemetery
  • Miscellaneous House Publications
  • Miscellaneous Senate Publications
  • National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States
  • National Council on Disability, a GPO Access hosted site
  • National Labor Relations Board, a GPO Access hosted site
  • NLM LOCATORplus, partnership with National Library of Medicine
  • National Mediation Board, a GPO Access hosted site
  • New Electronic Titles (NET)
  • Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board, a GPO Access hosted site
  • Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, a GPO Access hosted site
  • Office of Compliance, a GPO Access hosted site
  • Office of Government Ethics, a GPO Access hosted site
  • Office of Independent Counsel, Donald C. Smaltz - In Re: Secretary of Agriculture Alphonso Michael Espy, a former GPO Access hosted site, now archived in the Cybercemetery
  • Office of the Inspector General, a GPO Access hosted site
  • Overview and Compilation of U.S. Trade Statutes (Blue Book)
  • Plum Book (United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions), 1996 forward
  • Privacy Act Issuances, 1995 forward
  • Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States
  • Public and Private Laws, 104th Congress forward
  • Report of the Select Committee on Intelligence on the U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Assessments on Iraq
  • Riddick's Senate Procedure
  • Sales Program Report
  • Selected Congressional Hearings and Reports from the Challenger Space Shuttle Accident
  • Semiannual Regulatory Agenda (Unified Agenda), 1994 forward
  • Serial Set, 104th Congress forward
  • Senate Calendar of Business
  • Senate Manual, 104th and 106th Congresses
  • State of New York, ex rel. Eliot Spitzer, et al., v. Microsoft Corporation
  • State of the Union
  • Superintendent of Documents, Recent Reports
  • Supreme Court Decisions, 1937 to 1975 | 1992 Term forward
  • Supreme Court Fellows Program
  • Supreme Court Web Site, a GPO Access hosted site
  • Unified Agenda (Semiannual Regulatory Agenda), 1994 forward
  • U.S. Capitol Police, a GPO Access hosted site
  • U.S.–China Security Review Commission, a GPO Access hosted site
  • United States Code, 104th Congress forward
  • United States Commission on Civil Rights, a GPO Access hosted site
  • U.S. Commission on National Security/21st Century, a GPO Access hosted site
  • U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 104th Congress forward
  • U.S. Constitution
  • U.S. Government Manual, 1995/1996 forward
  • United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions (Plum Book), 1996 forward
  • United States Government Printing Office Style Manual, 2000 edition
  • United States Trade Deficit Review Commission, a GPO Access hosted site
  • Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, 1993 forward

In addition to the databases available through GPOAccess and the Internet, the Library also has access to government databases such as ERIC and the Monthly Catalog through the general multi-disciplinary databases OCLC FirstSearch and EBSCOhost. The government also allows depository libraries no-fee access to databases such as STAT-USA, although the number of users is restricted and there is no remote access.

Internet Sites

Until recently, the Library maintained a subject list of Internet sites which was reviewed and evaluated by subject specialists, and this list was accessible through the Library’s home page. Many of these sites were created and maintained by government agencies. The subject list of Internet sites has since been removed from the Library’s website, and all significantly valuable sites were added to the Library’s catalog. The Library continues to catalog selected government websites, which are reviewed and evaluated by the Electronic Resources/Documents Librarian, and provides access to them by linking through the OPAC. Since locating government information across agencies can be difficult and time-consuming, the Library provides access through the OPAC to web portals such as science.gov, which simplify subject searching for government publications. In addition, all FDLP libraries are mandated by the government to have a web presence. The Library complies with this mandate by maintaining the Government Resources Access website ( which can be accessed via the Library’s homepage.

Figure 4: Government Resources Access website

Online Research Guides and Handouts
Online research guides/handouts have been created by the Electronic Resources/Documents Librarian in order to walk users through the often complicated process of locating and utilizing government publications, websites, and databases. These guides are available through the Library Home Page, an example of which can be found at

ACQUISITIONS AND FUNDING

All items in the Government Documents Collection are received free-of-charge from the Government Printing Office (GPO) through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). For libraries that are not members of the FDLP, GPO provides a small selection of these publications for sale. Without FDLP membership, the Library would incur considerable cost to provide access to some of the valuable resources that it currently receives for free, and most resources are not available for sale. Using the prices found in the GPO product sales catalog database,[3] a sample selection of the expenditures that would be incurred over the course of one fiscal year for a few of the Library’s most widely used government publications is provided below in order to show the benefits of depository status.

Title / Amount
Code of Federal Regulations / $1,342.00
U.S. Code / $2,800.00
Federal Register / $916.00
Census of Population and Housing, 2000 / $2,600.00
Digest of Education Statistics / $60.00
Library of Congress Subject Headings / $295.00
Congressional Record / $503.00
Public Papers of the President of the United States / $150.00
Foreign Relations of the United States / $207.00
Total / $8873.00

BIBLIOGRAPHIES